What is the difference between Wicca and Neo Druidism?
I'm a solitary young Wiccan, and I have much to learn. However, I've been looking into Neo-Druidism, but don't quite understand it. What is the difference between the two besides the titles?
Druidism is a reconstruction religion of the Celts that revere nature.
There are some basic differences and a distinct pantheon. Unfortunately, I'm not versed in Druidism. I'd suggest a Wikipedia and Google search specifically on Druidism.
Wicca can be a general religion that can incorporate deities from many pantheons, whereas the Druids work with Celtic deities, Celtic trees/plants, etc.
Hope that helps, at least to give you a start.
Added: Suki is way off base. People have been working at reconstructing Druidism for decades. Because the Celts had oral traditions passed on - it's difficult but fragments are being found and there are serious druids out there.
Wiccans got started with movies like The Craft, but they haven't had any new exposure lately. Let's face it, you already have 9 cats, practice spells every night, and life is still based on reality.
The Neo-druids were born out of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They are already tired of pretending to be a vampire. Now they want to be a Knight, Prince, or King.
Both sects were born out of the Dungeons and Dragons Society. Ten years from now, almost all will deny that they ever went through this ridiculous phase.
*The only historical facts available concerning the druids came from the conquering Roman Army, who didn't take a lot of interest in recording their rituals. Some people believe that the Druids worshiped trees. Well, that might have something to do with the forest being a good place to hide from the advancing Roman Legions. Don't even try to include Beowulf, which has nothing to do with the mythical druids. We know about as much about the Druids are we do the Martians. Truth doesn't sell books, games, costumes, as well as mass fantasy.
Look at it this way: The Roman Catholic church is whatever their popes and bishops says it is. Catholicism is highly structured and organized and documented. Wicca, on the other hand, doesn't have popes or bishops or a formal catechism. Anybody can call them self a Wicca priest(Essa). Anybody can publish a book to define Wicca but such books are never generally accepted. Same goes for Druidism. These things don't have written constitutions, organized structures or a leadership hierarchies. It's really a make it up as you go free-for-all. Bottom line is that Wicca and Druidism is whatever you want it to be. Have fun with it -- as the previous answerer points out you'll outgrow it soon enough.
Noe druidism is based on what we know of the practices of the priesthood of the ancient Celts. Wicca is a modern religion based on northern and western European paganism. there's an excellent book on druid, i think it's called 'Merlin's path' and it's usually on the shelf in the new age or earth religion section of the bookstore.
Suki obviously knows nothing about either. tho Tolkien probably influenced the early pagan revivalists, his work has nothing to do with druidRyr wicca. wicca has been practiced since the 50's, and neo-druidism almost as long. few of the pagans i know actually play dungeons and dragons. ignore the closed-minded idiots and follow your instincts to your true calling.
James B's contention that Wicca and Neo Druidism are "whatever you want them to be" only applies to the fluffy bunnies of either religion. Serious practitioners understand that there are rules for each, and those rules define the serious practice of the religion.
Both Wicca and Neo Druidism are modern religions; Neo Druidism is much closer to being a "re constructionist" faith than Wicca is, in that it attempts to adhere to historical details about Druidic practice. Their concepts of how the universe is structured, how one approaches the Divine, and the nature of the Divine are quite different. Neo Druidism, at least in my experience, tends to be more rigorously scholarly than Wicca. I'll leave a more detailed description of their differences to some of the Druids on the board. :-)
Both religions are modern and both include a lot of variation within their definitions. Neo-Druidism generally draws very heavily from Celtic ideas, while Wicca draws from a very wide variety of cultures. Druidism often works in systems of three (sea sky and land) while Wiccan ceremony is heavily rooted in the Platonic system of four elements. Wicca generally focuses heavily on gender polarity. Wicca also often bears more influence from ceremonial magic.
druids differ from vicunas greatly as their belief system adopts many other methods that vicunas do not explore email me if you like(Teacher of the Wicca religion)
Prariecrow's answer is pretty good. I have only Ben studying Neo-pagan religions for a short while, but there ARE some major differences between the two. I have found a few books that seem to be good, but cannot vouch for them as I have not read them yet. I will be picking up "Drawing Down the Moon" by Margot Adler soon. I'll post about it once I'm finished.
What is the difference between Wicca and Neo Druidism?
